Surah Ya Sin (Ya Sin) 36 : 27

Explanatory Note

This new passage is composed of readings from the book of the universe and the revealed book. We look at the wonderful pages of this book: its great variety of colours, species and kinds; fruits of every colour; mountains with colourful passages, as also people, animals and cattle of different hues. It is a highly effective touch, drawing our attention to the wonderful and natural world of colour that we tend to overlook.

The passage adds readings from God’s revealed book, confirming the truth it contains and an endorsement of what had gone before it of revelations. It speaks about how this book has been granted to the Muslim community as its rightful legacy, making it clear that the heirs are of different classes, but that they all expect to receive God’s pardon and forgiveness of sins. An image of their enjoyment of God’s favours in the life to come is painted to contrast with an image of what awaits the unbelievers of punishment. This round, rich in colour, is concluded by a statement that all takes place in accordance with God’s knowledge.

This is a remarkable touch confirming the source of the Qur’ān. It looks at the entire world with a special focus on colour, pointing out its great variety in fruits, mountains, people, animals and cattle. It only takes a few words to group together animate and inanimate objects throughout the earth, leaving us in full amazement at this wonderful exhibition.

It all begins with water being sent down from the skies, and the fruits that it brings forth with their rich variety of hue. Because the exhibition intended here concentrates on visual imagery, the only quality given to the fruits is their colour:

“We bring forth fruits of different colours.” (Verse 27)

The colours of these fruits combine a grading that cannot be reproduced, even partially, by any painter. No two types of fruits are of the same colour. In fact, no two pieces of the same type of fruit are identical in colour. Good scrutiny will reveal variation even on such a scale.

The sūrah then switches, almost suddenly, to refer to the colours of mountains. A close palette study, however, shows that this is a perfectly natural switch. There is a close similarity between the richness of colour in fruits and its richness in mountain rocks. Some rocks may even resemble fruit both in shape and in size, so that they can sometimes be mistaken for fruit.

“In the mountains there are streaks of white and red of various shades, as well as others jet-black.” (Verse 27)

The ‘streaks’ refer to lines and courses in mountains. The text here refers to a fine point: the white lines contain different shades of whiteness, while the red ones contain different red shades, and both differ in the richness of colour and in the mix of other colours that give them their special appeal. There are other streaks of very black colour.